by Gregg Vann
Tien tested his legs first to make sure they were functioning properly, and then he ran to the building where the Udek were launching their devastating attacks from the roof. He slammed his fingers into the exterior of the structure to create makeshift handholds, and then with an uneven, jerky cadence, Tien began crawling up the side of the building—reaching overhead with alternating arms to pull himself higher and higher up the wall. As his confidence in the method grew, Tien moved much more rapidly, arriving at the top of the structure in seconds. He launched himself over the parapet and dropped down onto the roof, landing with a loud thud.
Four Udek commandos stood near the front of the building, almost at the very edge, and they all spun around when they heard the noise. They immediately began shooting—without a moment’s hesitation—and anyone else would have been killed instantly. But Tien’s android body was virtually immune to small-arms fire, and the bullets bounced harmlessly off of his tarnished metal skin. He sprinted at his attackers, striking one of the commandos so hard that he flew over the edge of the building and slammed into the ground below. Tien knew that if the fall hadn’t killed him, the rebels surely would. He grabbed two of the remaining Udek, one in each hand, and actuated his offensive electrical field, dialing it up to full power. Tien heard a loud pop, and then smoke began drifting out from the soldiers’ melted breathing masks. As he dropped their lifeless bodies, the last commando slapped a grenade on Tien’s leg. Then the Udek bolted for the exit, trying to escape the roof and certain death. The powerful explosive detonated and a few more warning alarms went off in Tien’s HUD; he immediately felt the damage. Tien’s leg was immobilized, and he couldn’t manage even a single step, so he reached down and grabbed a rifle off one of the corpses. Tien sighted in on the fleeing soldier and pulled the trigger, striking him in the back of the head, and the Udek fell dead just short of the door. Tien pivoted on his good leg and dragged himself over to the edge of the roof, and then began firing down at the Udek positions on the ground.
The tide of battle had shifted for the final time.
Within minutes, the intensity of the fighting waned—as more combatants on both sides fell dead or injured. But in the end, the Iriq were victorious. Tien saw Kuv issuing commands to his troops as they mopped up the last of the Udek, and then the bulk of the rebel forces reinforced their position in the street to begin setting up a triage area. A couple of small groups broke away from the others and entered the buildings on both sides of the road. They began carefully combing through the structures—floor by floor—searching for any Udek holdouts.
Tien was atop the building containing the base’s power generators and water system; a portion of it also served as general storage space. He recognized the shorter structure across from him as the combined garage and maintenance bay, and knew that neither of the two buildings should be crawling with Udek. But once this section of the base was secure they’d still have to clear out the barracks, though Tien thought it was probably empty now, and the command center, which was most assuredly not. From his elevated perch, he peered further into the camp and spotted both of the buildings. The barracks was directly ahead of them, just on the other side of the landing platform that bisected the main road. And to the right of it sat a squat, single-story structure, with opaque windows spaced generously along its rounded frame. The command center…
That was where Tien’s objective waited.
He used the strap to throw the rifle over his shoulder and turned back around, heading for the door leading off the roof. Just as he reached it three Iriq burst through, sweeping their weapons around in wide arcs as they searched for Udek targets. They didn’t appear too disappointed to discover that all of the commandos were already dead. Ayel was among the small squad, and she gave Tien a curt nod.
He brushed past them and began carefully making his way down the stairwell, hopping and twisting his body side to side to drop his useless leg down the steps. When he reached the ground and shuffled out into the road, Tien surveyed the damage to the leg so he could devise a temporary solution.
It was bent out to the side at the knee—twisting away from his body at an odd angle, and locked in place by obvious damage to the joint. Tien unslung the rifle from his back and used the butt of it to pound the leg in straight, bending it back up under his knee where it belonged. It looked more or less correct, but Tien still couldn’t move the leg at all—even the flexion at the hip seemed compromised. His limb was little more than a rigid post now, blackened with explosive residue.
“Nice work up there,” Kuv said, exiting the building across the street. One of his hands was pressed down hard on a blood-soaked bandage, taped over his shoulder wound to help stem the bleeding. The Iriq’s long fingers were splayed out across the dressing and bent at various angles, applying even pressure to every part the injury. In spite of his obvious pain, Kuv smiled. “If the Udek had held that roof, this might not have ended well.”
“This hasn’t ended yet,” Tien said. “We still need to take the command and control center. How many troops do you have left?”
Kuv turned to query one of his soldiers. After receiving the wordless reply, he looked back at Tien. The Iriq’s expression was glum. “We have twenty or so remaining who can still fight, and that’s including you, Maxal, and Ayel. The rest are all dead or too injured to go on.” Kuv glanced at the large dent in Tien’s torso, where the anti-vehicle missile had struck him. Then he pointed down at Tien’s leg, to indicate the charred and bent metal. “Actually, you don’t appear all that ready for combat either.”
“I’m fine,” Tien assured him.
An Iriq soldier ran up to them, slightly out of breath. She spun her fingers in rapid communication as Kuv translated. “She says the barracks are empty, and the rest of the base is now clear. They saw signs of movement in the command center, but have no idea how many Udek are left inside it.”
Maxal and Ayel approached from behind Kuv, both checking their weapons as they readied for more action. “No doubt enough of them to be a pain in the ass,” Maxal offered.
It was clear from Kuv’s expression that he agreed with his lone Blenej soldier. “Any ideas on how best to handle this?” he asked Tien.
“Yes. We go in and kill them. There is no easy way. They’re Udek. They aren’t coming out, and they will never surrender. Normally, I’d say we just blow up the building and be done with it. But the problem we have is that I need one of them alive; she’s the whole reason I’m on Polit. So we have to be extremely selective about how much force we use…and where. That will make things much more dangerous.”
“I’ll not risk what’s left of my people trying to keep some Udek butcher alive,” Kuv snapped. “I appreciate your help here, Tien, I do. But we’ve lost too many already.”
Tien glanced around at the carnage and he understood. The dead and broken bodies; the wounded, moaning as they clung to life. If you added the cost of this battle to all of the other torture and death visited on these people during the occupation it would total a heavy price, and represented more than enough spilled blood and misery to make this fight personal. Tien couldn’t ask, nor could he expect the Iriq to show mercy to their enemy, because he certainly wouldn’t in their position. And he didn’t blame them for trying to protect what few people they had left…not at all.
Tien slid the rifle across his back and then reached down to pick up another weapon, involuntarily discarded by a dead Udek commando near his feet. Both of the guns he carried were fixed-ammo types—one a projectile rifle, and the other a beam weapon. Tien would rather have one of Special Corp’s mixed loadout rifles, with multiple power settings and ammunition selections. Then he would be ready for any eventuality. But Tien no longer had access to the Corp’s armory, so these scavenged guns would have to serve, especially now that most of the android’s weapons systems were offline.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said to Kuv. “You’ve already done enough. I’ll handle the rest myself. Just plant the explosives an
d get your dead and wounded out of here.”
“No,” Kuv replied, shaking his head. “I don’t think you understand. I said I wouldn’t risk my people.” The Iriq made a wide gesture with his free hand, indicating the remnants of the battle. “But we owe you a debt for what we’ve accomplished here today, and I’m going with you to fulfill my part of the bargain.”
Maxal and Ayel shared a look, and then the big Blenej said, “We’re coming too.”
“Very well,” Tien agreed. “Then let’s end this.”
Kuv issued a series of commands to his soldiers, telling them to use the abandoned Udek vehicles to evacuate the base—and to move around quickly to set the explosive charges. He also reminded his troops to gather up all of the Udek munitions they could find, and to incorporate them into the massive planned detonation. Kuv then fell in behind Maxal and Ayel as they followed Tien down the street—the Udek noisily dragging his bad leg as they wove between bullet-ridden bodies and burning wreckage.
They skirted around the landing platform in the middle of the road, and then crossed over an empty training ground just on the other side of it. The group ignored the barracks completely and approached the command center, passing a pair of Iriq stationed out front to secure the building. They were posted there to ensure that no one escaped, or tried to launch a counter-offensive. Tien was expecting trouble, but no one challenged or attacked them as they drew near the last Udek stronghold.
“Well, we know they’re in there,” Maxal said, straining to see through one of the windows. “Maybe they’re just shy.” The Blenej smirked. “Let’s go say hi.”
Kuv was more serious, and he stepped up to the door and placed a small explosive charge on the locking mechanism. They then paired off to both sides of the entrance—Ayel and Maxal on one side, and Kuv and Tien on the other. The explosion went off as expected, twisting the heavy door out of shape and buckling it inward. But it still remained largely intact, and locked in place. Tien stepped forward and began pounding on the door with both of his metal fists, hammering against it forcefully until he heard a loud crack. Tien felt it partially give way, and with one final strike snapped the locking bolts, causing the door to fail. It jerkily swung open on broken hinges and all four of them swept inside the building—guns at the ready.
The group moved through a security foyer and into the long corridor beyond it, leading straight to the command center in the middle the building. They slowed their advance when they noticed a makeshift barricade up ahead of them, and then crouched down cautiously as they moved forward to investigate. But before they reached the barrier, two Udek commandos popped up from behind it and began shooting.
Maxal’s club was struck by a heavy caliber projectile and went flying out of his hand, bouncing loudly down the corridor and back into the foyer behind them. Had it been an explosive round or plasma beam, Maxal’s hand would have likely taken the short journey with his weapon, or even been vaporized altogether. He was lucky the area was too small for the Udek to use heavier weaponry, and it was also fortunate that he, Ayel, and Kuv, were all following behind their much sturdier metallic companion. But that boon was more conscious decision than capricious fate.
Tien felt the sharp impacts against his face—or where his face would be, if he had one—and he laid down some covering fire in an effort to protect the others. Tien knew they were penned in too tightly to fight, and that his team was exposed. But the barricade gave the Udek all the protection they needed. The commandos would hang behind it and pick them apart if they didn’t do something, and do it right now.
“Fall back!” Tien shouted.
Kuv, Ayel, and Maxal retreated back to the safety of the foyer, but Tien kept limping forward until he reached the barricade. Despite the damage to his android body, Tien was still impervious to weapons fire. The bullets bounced right off of him and went ricocheting into the walls and ceiling of the corridor. Tien casually leaned over the top of the barrier, and then he shot both commandos in the head as they tried to scramble away.
“Clear!” he called out.
By the time Tien shoved the barricade aside and entered the command center, the others had rejoined him. They saw a large electronic display on the wall in front of them, with each ship in the Udek blockade highlighted and identified with distinctive markers. There was also a large collection of subordinate screens mounted on the other walls in the room. Most of those detailed the Udek ships’ ready states and crew complements, but a few appeared to be broadcasting live feeds from surveillance devices—monitoring Iriq installations and activities around the planet. After a quick look around, Kuv pointed up at the main screen.
“Look!” he exclaimed, the Iriq’s excitement was palpable. “Three of the Udek warships are moving toward Polit, just as we’d hoped.”
“I’m sure they were notified about the attack,” Tien said. “And are now on their way here to retake this base and retaliate against your population centers.”
Kuv smiled. “There will be no retaliation, Tien.” He gestured at the screen again. “See? The Udek left a large gap in the blockade when those ships moved out of position. I’ll contact the Iriq fleet and they can sail right through it. Once our armada appears on Udek sensors, I believe those warships will retreat from the planet, before they’re overwhelmed by our arriving forces. They will if they know what’s good for them. I also need to inform the Iriq government about what we’ve done here, and tell them to get those defensive satellites into orbit as quickly as possible. I’ve forced their hand, and now they have no choice. The delivery rockets are kept ready and staged for launch. So in an hour’s time, this situation will be resolved. Once and for all.”
Kuv withdrew a secure pictographic comm unit from his pocket and ran out of the building, full of purpose. The Iriq had reason to celebrate, but Tien was angry. His mission was a failure. All of this, all of it…was for nothing.
Where the hell is she? he thought. She couldn’t have escaped. Maybe she was killed during the fighting, and is lying dead somewhere on the base.
But then, in a darkened alcove across the room, Tien detected a slight shift in the shadows—a tiny waver in the ethereal, ink-like blackness, concealing something of actual substance. No one else noticed the disturbance because they’d never worn a darksuit before. But Tien had, and he recognized the telltale outline of a hidden shape. He leveled his rifle at the pool of darkness; Maxal and Ayel read his actions and did the same.
“You can come out now, Commander,” Tien said. “I’m not here to kill you.”
After a moment, the shadows parted and an Udek woman stepped into the light. She pulled off her headgear, revealing a familiar face.
“What…who the hell are you?” she asked in bewilderment.
“Kiro Tien.”
The Udek’s eyes went wide, and her expression shifted from confusion to fear. Then it finally settled into something resembling weary resignation.
“Fuck,” Commander Eraz replied.
Then she fell to her knees and placed her hands behind her head.
Chapter Twenty-Six
{I don’t understand why this is taking so long} Miso complained.
He slammed a fist into his palm in frustration, sending the sound of clanging metal reverberating through Awi Stenth’s office. The Chancellor of the Udek Special Corp was neither intimidated nor impressed by Miso’s lack of self-control—he saw it for the weakness it was. But he knew the android had to be placated. For the time being, anyway.
“You act as if deploying a spaceborne attack force is something easily done,” Stenth replied. “You clearly have no idea how long these preparations can take, Miso. Or how much cajoling and manipulation I have to accomplish to get the military to do my bidding in the first place.”
{Then perhaps I should go to them instead} Miso said acidly. {I’m beginning to think you are wasting my time, Stenth. Or more likely, I’m wasting my time with you}
Miso’s voice lacked any true inflection; it was more a case of
modulated volume than tonal shift. But the chancellor could swear he heard disgust creeping into it. The android was aiming his caustic comments at Stenth as if the words had been weaponized.
“By all means.” Stenth smiled insincerely. “Please do. Our generals would have gladly vaporized your ship in orbit, had the government and I not stepped in to prevent it. But I’m sure they’ll be happy enough to kill you on the ground. I think you’ll find that your inducements hold little sway with them, Miso. The military doesn’t care much for scheming, nor do they involve themselves in long-term political or socio-economic strategies. They tend to direct their energies toward more immediate and lethal enterprises.” Stenth gestured at his antagonist dismissively, determined to demonstrate to Miso exactly how thin and fragile his leverage was. “That body you’re wearing may be resilient, Miso. But don’t fool yourself. We can destroy you if necessary. The only reason you’re still alive is because we need your help to decode and replicate the Bodhi technology. If they do manage to wipe out everything when we attack, the information you’ve brought with you is all we’ll have left. But even so, don’t overestimate your worth. It would be easier to do this with you, but not impossible to do it without you. Never think yourself invulnerable or inviolate, Miso, because you most certainly are not.”
The android tempered his rage, realizing that he’d pushed the chancellor too far. {Gah!} Miso exclaimed. {Then how much longer must I wait? I burn for my revenge, Stenth. It has already been too long!}
